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  #21  
Old Posted Apr 28, 2021, 5:22 PM
isaidso isaidso is offline
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Originally Posted by MolsonExport View Post
Hartford...didn't they used to have an NHL hockey team (Whalers)?
They had a nice logo incorporating a 'W', 'H', and a whale tail without looking busy. It's quite something to think that from Boston to New York there used to be 5 NHL teams: NY Islanders, NY Rangers, NJ Devils, Hartford Whalers, and the Boston Bruins.


https://www.cbc.ca/sports/the-buzzer...t-of-1.5043588
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Last edited by isaidso; Apr 28, 2021 at 5:43 PM.
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  #22  
Old Posted Apr 28, 2021, 6:11 PM
watchmanonthewall watchmanonthewall is offline
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Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown View Post
I don't know Hartford well so I'll let the others comment, but I will say, what I think you'll find as fun if you've never lived in this part of the country is how close everything is, especially as a newcomer.

A lot of us take it for granted, but basically you're gonna be 1.5 hours from Boston, 1.5 hours from NYC, 1 hour from Providence, and probably 45 minutes from a significant body of water (Long Island Sound). In the time you could be in Atlanta from Nashville you could be in Philadelphia or even close to Montreal. Lots to see. Beautiful beach and mountain towns within driving distance, ranging from Newport RI and Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Maine to Hudson NY to the Adirondacks skiing in Vermont and New Hampshire etc.

Even if you don't stay forever will be a fun diversion for 5 or 6 years.

Good luck!
Thanks for your kind words. I'm really looking forward to touring all the historic sights. New England is a treasure trove of American history and the closest I have been to the northeast is Cincinnati. I was surprised at how green the area is. My future son in law absolutely loves it up there. He is working in Ellington. My daughter recently graduated from law school and is currently clerking for a federal judge. She is moving as soon as her contract is up in September and has already gotten licensed in Connecticut. It is going to be an adventure. I am looking forward to the pizza.
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  #23  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2021, 4:00 PM
mrnyc mrnyc is offline
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Originally Posted by watchmanonthewall View Post
Thanks for your kind words. I'm really looking forward to touring all the historic sights. New England is a treasure trove of American history and the closest I have been to the northeast is Cincinnati. I was surprised at how green the area is. My future son in law absolutely loves it up there. He is working in Ellington. My daughter recently graduated from law school and is currently clerking for a federal judge. She is moving as soon as her contract is up in September and has already gotten licensed in Connecticut. It is going to be an adventure. I am looking forward to the pizza.
as someone who lived around n'vuhl for two semesters long ago when it was sleepy and also visited recently, i would just say that you have not had pizza yet and so pepes and sallys and the others will be your first. a bold statement i know, but you will see its true.

and for sure as long as you find a neighborhood or town you like it will be fine as you will be amazed at how close you are to so much. nashville is quite removed in comparision.
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  #24  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2021, 7:51 PM
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I have very little experience with Hartford specifically, but when it comes to New England in a broad sense, I definitely second most of the opinions expressed in this thread already. I think you'll find that New England in general, not just Hartford, is such a vastly different animal in a plethora of positive ways from exurban Nashville. I have an endless amount of love for my former hometown of Nashville and will forever be it's cheerleader, so please don't take that as a slight against it. It just is simply an objective reality. Seemingly even the smallest towns and villages in New England have a storied history and a charm all their own. The larger urban areas are generally unmatched in this country in terms of the overall quality of the urban experience. The natural areas of New England match if not exceed the beauty of the natural areas in and around Middle Tennessee and provide one with a much wider breadth of experiences and a diversity in environments, whether it's skiing in the Adirondacks or sunbathing on a beach in Cape Cod. In general, there is just so much more to see and do up there. As others have alluded to, in the time it would take (or less) you to drive from Nashville to Memphis or Atlanta, from Hartford you could get to NYC, Philly, Boston, Providence, Montreal, Vermont, the Jersey Shore, Cape Cod, The Adirondacks, Portland and the coast of Maine (which is NOT to be slept on) etc. etc. etc... so yeah, I don't know what the Harftord area offers you in terms of housing opportunities, schooling etc. but if those areas meet your needs I would say do not hesitate, you'll love it... as long as you can stomach the winters.

Also please forgive the run-on paragraph... I wrote that on my phone.
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Last edited by BnaBreaker; Apr 29, 2021 at 8:01 PM.
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  #25  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2021, 8:11 PM
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Huh... looks a little like a lot of places, but exactly like... none?

Brickier outer Boston? Looser Albany?

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  #26  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2021, 8:33 PM
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Originally Posted by watchmanonthewall View Post
Thanks for your kind words. I'm really looking forward to touring all the historic sights. New England is a treasure trove of American history and the closest I have been to the northeast is Cincinnati. I was surprised at how green the area is. My future son in law absolutely loves it up there. He is working in Ellington. My daughter recently graduated from law school and is currently clerking for a federal judge. She is moving as soon as her contract is up in September and has already gotten licensed in Connecticut. It is going to be an adventure. I am looking forward to the pizza.
All of New England is pretty, but you don't even have to travel much.

The Hartford area, while not super-exciting, vibrant or unique, is quietly beautiful, everywhere. Always green, hilly and rocky. Almost no "typical" U.S. suburban sprawlscapes. You're in a town or a semi-rural landscape, no eight lane highways with endless big box and tract homes.
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  #27  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2021, 8:35 PM
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Originally Posted by kool maudit View Post
Huh... looks a little like a lot of places, but exactly like... none?

Brickier outer Boston? Looser Albany?
I think the closest U.S. analogues would be Providence and Albany.
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  #28  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2021, 8:41 PM
Crawford Crawford is offline
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Originally Posted by dc_denizen View Post
New haven and Hartford the same ?

For one , new haven doesn’t have a freeway running through the middle of it. New haven is lively , has a nice downtown , activities , and of course Yale . Nothing comparable in Hartford

Stamford is far nicer than Hartford now .
Well, yeah. Stamford is also at least 4x the price of Hartford, apples-apples. Coastal Fairfield County is one of the most expensive parts of the U.S.

New Haven's core is much nicer than Hartford's core, because Yale, but they're demographically about the same. And the Hartford area is higher income.
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  #29  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2021, 8:42 PM
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I lived in the Hartford for a couple years. Id agree with alot being said. The city itself is pretty bombed out in the core, shady and segregated. On the other hand punches above its weight culturally and historically.

The New England topography of Hartford area is fantastic with rolling hills and very leafy.

Theres is alot of wealth in the metro area particularly in West Hartford. Along with that plenty of amenities. It is auto oriented with some "main streets".

As mentioned, the best part of Hartford is the New England landscape and countless villages and towns in the region. As well as the easy access to Boston, NYC and Providence.
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  #30  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 12:42 PM
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new england is one of the few places excepting boston that i havent explored much in the u.s. excepting one drive from chicago to boston. connecticut might as well be the canadian maritimes to me. i am always surprised by these little metropolitan areas with some metropolitan weightiness to them. i keep pulling the lever to head into the sunset, and am much more familiar with the mid-atlantic/philly in the east.
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  #31  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 12:59 PM
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If I were to live in CT, I would prefer somewhere along the Long Island Sound, preferably near a town with a Metro North station, if not there, then in Eastern CT where it is scenic and peaceful, I could do that as well, somewhere around New London and Mystic. I could see myself taking the ferry from New London across the Long Island Sound or out to Block Island.
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  #32  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 1:28 PM
Crawford Crawford is offline
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Yeah, the coast is definitely far more desirable. But it's also multiples more expensive.

It's kinda like having a discussion of CA's Inland Empire, and mentioning "on the whole, I'd rather be in Pacific Palisades". Well, yeah.
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  #33  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 1:31 PM
eschaton eschaton is offline
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Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
New Haven's core is much nicer than Hartford's core, because Yale, but they're demographically about the same. And the Hartford area is higher income.
2010 numbers:

New Haven:
35% black, 32% White Anglo, 27% Latino, 5% Asian
Median family income: $47,300

Hartford:
43% Latino, 39% black, 16% White Anglo, 3% Asian
Median family income: $32,800

Hartford has a far smaller white population, and it's a far poorer city. You are right it's almost entirely attributable to Yale - but college towns in general are considered attractive places to live due to the local amenities they provide.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Camelback View Post
If I were to live in CT, I would prefer somewhere along the Long Island Sound, preferably near a town with a Metro North station, if not there, then in Eastern CT where it is scenic and peaceful, I could do that as well, somewhere around New London and Mystic. I could see myself taking the ferry from New London across the Long Island Sound or out to Block Island.
There's a handful of blocks in New London I really, really like. I would totally live here. There's some great Greek Revival homes there.

In general though, I feel like even the historic built vernacular is too...not urban...across much of New England. Houses are set too far from the sidewalk, and usually aren't attached.
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  #34  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 2:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
Yeah, the coast is definitely far more desirable. But it's also multiples more expensive.

It's kinda like having a discussion of CA's Inland Empire, and mentioning "on the whole, I'd rather be in Pacific Palisades". Well, yeah.
Again, Black Rock in Bridgeport is the exception. You can have a nice house a block or two from the water for a fraction of the price of elsewhere in the New York metro-area. Bridgeport, of course, has problems with crime, high taxes, and schools (but since the original poster is retired, schools aren't an issue).

I agree, Mystic is a beautiful town. We are hoping to go on a day trip there this spring and get pizza from Mystic Pizza and walk around the waterfront.
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  #35  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 2:05 PM
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Here is a NYT article from 2016-- an 1,100 sq ft home for $149,000 (I am sure housing prices have appreciated a bit). You simply can't find anything similar within walking distance of both the Long Island Sound and near a Metro North station elsewhere in the New York metro area.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/21/r...ghborhood.html
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  #36  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 2:33 PM
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Yeah, Black Rock is relatively cheap. But it's Bridgeport, arguably the poorest and least desirable city in CT. Probably Hartford is the only "competitor" in the state re. reputation. So most won't consider it.

But I agree, Black Rock is pretty nice. Urban, walkable, and attractive coast. The same coastal RE in Fairfield, CT, right next store, would be 4x the price. In Westport, the next town over, at least 5x the price. Even crazier closer in to NYC, in Greenwich and Darien.

Looks like a nice Black Rock home is around 400k these days, still insanely cheap for Fairfield County coastal neighborhood:
https://www.zillow.com/black-rock-bridgeport-ct/

Also, there's a major new Metro North station very close to Black Rock, on the Fairfield side. It's called Fairfield Metro, and has very high service frequency, as well as express service to Grand Central.
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  #37  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 2:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
Yeah, Black Rock is relatively cheap. But it's Bridgeport, arguably the poorest and least desirable city in CT. Probably Hartford is the only "competitor" in the state re. reputation. So most won't consider it.

But I agree, Black Rock is pretty nice. Urban, walkable, and attractive coast. The same coastal RE in Fairfield, CT, right next store, would be 4x the price. In Westport, the next town over, at least 5x the price. Even crazier closer in to NYC, in Greenwich and Darien.

Looks like a nice Black Rock home is around 400k these days, still insanely cheap for Fairfield County coastal neighborhood:
https://www.zillow.com/black-rock-bridgeport-ct/

Also, there's a major new Metro North station very close to Black Rock, on the Fairfield side. It's called Fairfield Metro, and has very high service frequency, as well as express service to Grand Central.
Indeed. Black Rock is very nice but if you go a half mile away, it is a very different place.

My dad's friends have one of the new condos next to the Fairfield Metro station. They would be a nice place to live, close to the Long Island Sound and immediately next to the Metro North station.
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  #38  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 3:49 PM
eschaton eschaton is offline
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Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist View Post
Again, Black Rock in Bridgeport is the exception. You can have a nice house a block or two from the water for a fraction of the price of elsewhere in the New York metro-area. Bridgeport, of course, has problems with crime, high taxes, and schools (but since the original poster is retired, schools aren't an issue).

I agree, Mystic is a beautiful town. We are hoping to go on a day trip there this spring and get pizza from Mystic Pizza and walk around the waterfront.
I grew up immediately north of Bridgeport. Actually after I graduated from HS my mom bought a house in the North End which she lived in through retirement, so I know the city fairly well. It is much, much better in terms of safety than it was in the 1990s, and it's consistently had lower crime rates than either Hartford or New Haven in recent years. I would say in terms of residential neighborhoods it's better than Hartford, but not as good as New Haven overall. Aside from Black Rock and the North End (which is suburban, but still a stable and mixed area) I have always thought that the South End seemed promising. There's some nice old homes mixed in down there.

The main issue Bridgeport has is is IMHO not crime or taxes. New Haven does okay with both of those after all. The main issue is there's nothing going on, and hasn't been for generations. New Haven has Yale, Hartford has the state government and the insurance industry. Bridgeport didn't have anything once the mills closed. Downtown is just totally dead, with a few civic-type buildings but no office space worth speaking of - and it's around half parking lots. There's been halfhearted attempts to build up entertainment venues downtown but nothing has caught on. As a result it's someplace you go if you have to be in court, or the library or something. Bridgeport is doing fine in terms of population growth because the landscapers and home health aides of Fairfield County need to live somewhere, but in the absence of any municipal job engine, that's all it is - a holding pen for the service class of the Gold Coast.
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  #39  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 4:25 PM
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I roll through Hartford about once every 1-2 years, just because it's (relatively) close to Boston and I like to explore. I have never lived there so this is my opinion from those brief forays.

Pros:
-Easily the 2nd best skyline in New England (Travelers Tower is really exceptional)
-State Capitol building is an absolute stunner
-Nice system of parks between downtown and State Capitol, kind of like its own version of Boston Common
-A small handful of streets/intersections feel "big city" until you are confronted with all of the urban renewal parking lots.
-New baseball stadium and ongoing attempt to develop that area into a better neighborhood.
-Some charming architecture due to city's historical importance.

Cons:
-Downtown doesn't feel particularly vibrant, and lacks connectivity due to highways and parking lots.
-Right on Connecticut River, yet doesn't have a waterfront scene that I know of.
-Many surrounding neighborhoods are absolute crime ridden DUMPS. Obvious urban blight, even within spitting distance of nicer areas like the State House/Government area.
-Overall depressed feeling ever since the Whalers were poached by Raleigh.

From a New England perspective, Boston is in another universe, and Providence, Portland, and New Haven absolutely blow it out of the water as well. Again, I go through every once in a while because I like the skyline and architecture, but more often than not it's just because Route 84 is the fastest way from Boston to points South (NYC and beyond).

Also, this might be an unpopular opinion, but Connecticut is probably the least charming, worst state in New England. There's still plenty of charm compared to other places, just not compared to its own general area. If you want to live somewhere up here that's still reasonably affordable, your best bet is probably Portland Maine. Tell your daughter to find a job up there.
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  #40  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2021, 4:27 PM
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Bridgeport has Bigelow Tea but I don’t think we can count on that, alone, for an economic resurgence.

Bridgeport has been trying to attract development to the waterfront. The Steelpointe development has seen some modest success. Also, the company that operates the NYC ferries is opening a maintenance facility in Bridgeport, which will create some jobs.

https://www.wfsb.com/news/ferry-comp...bf1b98fa4.html
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